Swansea

Carol Evans has raised more than £260 for children with brain conditions after she vowed to ‘get fit at 50’ and completed the Swansea Triathlon.

Lifestyle Transformation

The 51-year-old senior administrator, who has worked at Specsavers Swansea for more than 18 years, has transformed her lifestyle in the last three years after discovering a passion for the sport.

Since vowing to ‘get fit at 50’ she has lost five stone and participated in several local fitness challenges, including the Admiral Swansea Bay 10k. She is now celebrating after completing a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run for Cerebra – a Carmarthen-headquartered charity providing practical and physical support to children with brain conditions.

‘I love competing in these sorts of events, but this is the first time I’ve ever participated in one to raise money for a charity,’ says Carol, from Swansea. ‘I’m proud I was able to raise £262 for Cerebra from this challenge. It was certainly no mean feat, but I loved that I was challenging myself physically while raising money for an important cause that Specsavers is keen to support.’

Team Imogen

Specsavers Swansea has joined 39 other Specsavers stores across south and mid-Wales to raise funds for Cerebra in a year-long charity partnership. In addition to its support services and research work the charity also has a Swansea-based Innovation Centre where bespoke equipment is designed and created, free of charge, to make children’s lives easier.

Carol ran with other Cerebra fundraisers as part of ‘Team Imogen’, named after a six-year-old with Cerebral Palsy who received a bespoke wheelchair from Cerebra to improve her movement and comfort.

Stephen Jones, store director at Specsavers Swansea, says: ‘I met Imogen at an event earlier this year, so I’ve seen first-hand the impact Cerebra has had on her life and it is remarkable.

‘We’re proud of Carol for completing such a tough challenge and even more so for raising funds for a wonderful cause. She is inspirational and so is Cerebra. It’s great to see a charity so close to home helping young children with brain conditions discover ways to live a better life with their family.’